See Also

Battle of Valcour Island

The naval Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, took place on 11 October 1776, on Lake Champlain Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain is a large lake [i] in North America [i], mostly within the borders of the United States [i] ... 

 in a narrow strait between the New York New York

New York is a state [i] in the northeastern [i] United States [i]. ... 

 mainland and Valcour Island during the American Revolutionary War American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, was a war between... 

. It is generally regarded as the first naval battle Naval battle

A naval battle is a battle [i] fought using ship [i]s or other waterborne vessels. ... 

 fought by the United States Navy United States Navy

The United States Navy is the branch of the United States armed forces [i] responsible for conducting naval [i] ... 

. Although the American ships under the command of Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold was a general [i] in the Continental Army [i] during the American Revolutionary War [i]. ... 

 were mostly destroyed, the campaign delayed by one year the British Kingdom of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain ... 

 attempt to cut the colonies in half Saratoga campaign

The Saratoga campaign was a series of battles in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War [i] for con ... 

 and eventually led to the British military disaster at Saratoga Battle of Saratoga

The Battle of Saratoga in July and October 1777 was a decisive American [i] victory tha ... 

 in 1777.

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Timeline

1776   American Revolutionary War: Battle of Valcour Island: On Lake Champlain Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain is a large lake [i] in North America [i], mostly within the borders of the United States [i] ... 

 near Valcour Island, a British Kingdom of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain ... 

 fleet led by Sir Guy Carleton Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester

Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB [i], often known as Sir Guy Carleton, was a British [i] ... 

 defeats 15 American United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 gunboats commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold was a general [i] in the Continental Army [i] during the American Revolutionary War [i]. ... 

. Although nearly all of Arnold's ships are destroyed, the two day-long battle will give Patriot forces enough time to prepare defenses of New York City New York City

[i] in the [[United States]... 

.



Encyclopedia

The naval Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, took place on 11 October 1776, on Lake Champlain Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain is a large lake [i] in North America [i], mostly within the borders of the United States [i] ... 

 in a narrow strait between the New York New York

New York is a state [i] in the northeastern [i] United States [i]. ... 

 mainland and Valcour Island during the American Revolutionary War American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, was a war between... 

. It is generally regarded as the first naval battle Naval battle

A naval battle is a battle [i] fought using ship [i]s or other waterborne vessels. ... 

 fought by the United States Navy United States Navy

The United States Navy is the branch of the United States armed forces [i] responsible for conducting naval [i] ... 

. Although the American ships under the command of Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold was a general [i] in the Continental Army [i] during the American Revolutionary War [i].... 

 were mostly destroyed, the campaign delayed by one year the British Kingdom of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain
... 

 attempt to cut the colonies in half Saratoga campaign

The Saratoga campaign was a series of battles in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War [i] for con ... 

 and eventually led to the British military disaster at Saratoga Battle of Saratoga

The Battle of Saratoga in July and October 1777 was a decisive American [i] victory tha ... 

 in 1777.

Strategic importance of Lake Champlain

Following the failed American invasion of Canada, the British launched a counteroffensive intended to gain control of the Hudson River Hudson River

The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican [i], is a river [i] running mainly throu ... 

 Valley, which extends southward from Lake Champlain. Control of the upper Hudson would have enabled the British to link their Canadian forces with those in British-occupied New York City New York City

[i] in the [[United States]... 

, dividing the American colonies of New England from those in the South and Mid-Atlantic and potentially quashing the revolution.

Access to the river's source was protected by American strongholds at Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga is a large 18th century [i] fort [i] built at a strategically important narrows in Lake Champlain [i] ... 

, and elimination of these defenses would require the transportation of troops and supplies from the British-controlled St. Lawrence Valley Saint Lawrence River

The Saint Lawrence River is a large west-to-east flowing river [i] in the middle latitudes of North America [i] ... 

 90 miles to the north. Roads were either impassable or nonexistent, making water transport over Lake Champlain the only viable option, but the only ships on the lake were in American hands. Even though they were lightly armed, they would have made transport of troops and stores impossible for the British. The two sides therefore set about building fleets; the British at St Johns Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is a city in the province of Quebec [i], Canada [i] about 50 km southeast of Montreal [i] ... 

 in Quebec Quebec

Quebec, or Qubec in French [i], In 1898, the Canadian Parliament passed the first ... 

 and the Americans at the other end of the lake in Skenesborough. The British had adequate supplies, skilled workmen, and prefabricated ships transported from England, including a 180-ton warship they disassembled and rebuilt on the lake. All told, the British fleet had roughly twice as many ships and twice the firepower of the Americans' 16 vessels.

Forces assembled

Benedict Arnold's flagship was initially the Royal Savage, a two-masted schooner Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel [i] characterized by the use of fore-and-aft [i] ... 

, but he transferred to the Congress, a row galley. Arnold's fleet included Revenge and Liberty, also two-masted schooners, as well as the Enterprise, a sloop Sloop

A sloop in sailing [i], is a vessel with a Fore-and-aft rig [i]. ... 

, and 8 gondolas Gondola

A gondola is a traditional Venetian [i] rowing boat [i]. ... 

: New Haven, Providence, Boston, Spitfire, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Jersey, New York, and the galley Galley

The term galley can refer to any ship [i] propelled primarily by man-power, using oar [i]s. ... 

 Trumbull.

Facing them were the ships of the Royal Navy Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom [i] is the oldest of the British armed services [i] ... 

 constructed in Quebec Quebec

Quebec, or Qubec in French [i], In 1898, the Canadian Parliament passed the first ... 

: The flagship Inflexible, reassembled from pieces and measuring 80 feet long; the schooner Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel [i] characterized by the use of fore-and-aft [i] ... 

s Maria, Carleton, Royal Convert, the two-masted ketch Ketch

A ketch is a sailing [i] craft [i] with two masts [i]: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen [i] mast a ... 

 Thunderer, as well as over 20 single-masted gunboats armed with a single cannon.

Battle



Arnold came from a seafaring Connecticut Connecticut

Connecticut is a state [i] in the New England [i] region of the United States [i], located i ... 

 family. He shrewdly chose to force the British to attack his inferior forces in a narrow, rocky body of water between the coast and Valcour Island, where the British fleet would have difficulty bringing its superior firepower to bear—and where the inferior seamanship of his unskilled sailors would have a minimal effect.

The British fleet took up positions at noon around 300 yards in front of the American battle line with the small gunboats forward, and the five main ships around 50-100 yards behind the gunboats. The British then opened up a huge broadside against the American ships which continued for the next five hours. During the exchange of cannon fire, Revenge was heavily hit. Philadelphia was also heavily hit and sank later at around 6:30 p.m. Royal Savage ran aground and was set on fire by the crew to prevent the ship from falling in British hands. Congress and Washington were heavily damaged, and Jersey and New York were also badly hit. On the British side, casualties began mounting too. HMS Carlton was heavily hit as it tried to land a boarding party on the grounded Royal Savage and was forced to withdraw under heavy fire. One small gunboat, commanded by Lieutenant Dufais, blew up and sank from a direct hit. Most of the other small gunboats were also hit, forcing them to withdraw and reform their battle line 700 yards from the American line. Two of the gunboats were so heavily damaged that they were forced to be scuttled after the action.

Nonetheless, the battle was not going well for the Americans when the sun set on 11 October. Most of the American ships were damaged or sinking, and the crews reported around 60 casualties. The British reported around 40 casualties on their ships. Aware that he could not defeat the British fleet, Arnold decided to withdraw. Arnold managed to sneak his fleet past the British fleet during the night and attempted to run for the cover of the shore batteries situated at the American-held fort at Crown Point at the south end of the lake. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and the Americans were caught short of their goal. As the British pursued, Colonel Guy Carleton Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester

Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB [i], often known as Sir Guy Carleton, was a British [i] ... 

 mistakenly fired upon a small rocky island, thinking it was an American ship. The small island was later named Carleton's prize Carleton's prize

Carleton's Prize is a small rock island in Vermont [i] on Lake Champlain [i] between Providence and Stav ... 

.

Aftermath

After sailing only eight miles on 12 October, Arnold drove Providence ashore in the shallow water of Buttonmold Bay off Schuyler Island where the heavier British ships could not follow. The ship was then stripped of guns, powder and everything else of use. New Jersey also ran aground while the crew from the Lee did likewise. On 13 October, the British fleet finally caught up to the American fleet off Split Rock where Washington was captured and the Congress sank attempting to flee. Arnold led about 200 men from the lost ships on foot to Crown Point where the remaining ships—'Trumbull, Enterprise, Revenge, New York, and Liberty—finally reached safety. Arnold was forced to burn his remaining ships and withdrew further towards Ticonderoga. American losses were listed as over 80 killed with 120 captured, many of them wounded. Aside from the 40 reported dead and wounded, there appeared to be no British casualties in the two days after the 11 October engagement.

Although the British had cleared the lake of American ships, establishing naval control, snow was already falling as Arnold and his men reached Ticonderoga on 20 October. The British commander Carleton had no choice but to defer the attacks on Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga; he withdrew to a winter camp in Canada by early November. The next year in 1777, a better-prepared American army would eventually stop the British advance at Saratoga and bring France into the war on the American side.

References

  • Gardner W. Allen, A Naval History of the American Revolution , chap. 6
  • William M. Fowler, Jr., Rebels Under Sail: The American navy during the Revolution , chap. 10
  • Brendan Morrissey, Quebec 1775, The American invasion of Canada p. 73-86

External links

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